Friday's Hike

Today's hike: Hot Springs up to Tankard gap. The day started out rainy, a light misty rain so it wasn't too miserable. Walked up mainstreet Hotsprings on the trail then turn off the bridge along the French Broad River. Nice flat quiet hike for half a mile along the river which here has Cat 2 rapids. There are a few rafting companies along here, so I am sure the river picks up to at least cat 4 downstream. Then straight up the mountain for a 2500 foot climb. A little scary in one spot , the trail turned into a goat trail along a rocky outcropping for a few hundred feet strait up. Trail was all rock and no more than a foot wide and did I mention no handholds, trees and ALL ROCK? Strait down, so I did not look down after the first time, just scrambled up and glad I had my trekking poles again for balance.

Big rock on top of the scramble, named appropriately : Lovers Leap ! If I hike this way tomorrow, I'll try to get a picture of the rock face of the mountain. Looking at it from the bottom one could not imagine a hiking triail going up this way. Passed three girls of high school or maybe college age doing a day hike with no packs or water and another pair of guys, one in his forties and the other with white hair, probably the father, taking a rest on one of the switchbacks going up. Did about 5 miles out then another five back. As we cannot find the road crossings for the other direction, I will probably hike this area's side trails tomorrow for fun. There is a Pump gap loop trail that hooks up with the AT and the Lovers Leap trail and the silvermines trail.

Suzy is hanging out with Beau today and catching up on Deseperate Housewives and Greys Anatomy while I hike, then into the thriving metropolis of Hot Springs for dinner. There are a couple of places with outside dinning that allow dogs outside on their patios. Had a nice Buffalo Bills burger two nights ago at the pebbles river pub, and there is a sweet shop will may visit tonight. Hot Springs is about 1/200 the size of Bath, NY FYI. The grocery is called the Hillbilly store.........

Bear Facts: The more you hike, the more you like, seems I am getting my mountain legs as todays hike of 10 miles did not tire me at all, had a breakfast bar on top of the mountain and lots of water.